nz lemming:
Part 2 of the Commerce Act 1986 No 5 (as at 01 April 2009) deals with Price Fixing. The relevant links are s30 and s32.

30 Certain provisions of contracts, etc, with respect to prices deemed to substantially lessen competition

32 Certain recommendations as to prices for goods and services exempt from application of section 30

Got to: http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0005/latest/DLM87623.html

At the second Wellington Actors meeting Penelope Borland and Dave Gibson made it very clear that SPADA was rejecting Equity’s request to negotiate a collective agreement while Equity was saying they wanted to move on from the Pink Book concept, so the stalemate was two-sided. Equity then caved under the combined might of the Jackson empire (fronting for Warner Bros?), SPADA, the NZ Government and film workers (including actors) who had been cleverly spooked by the aforementioned forces.

But just because Equity has moved to a fall-back position after trying to get a better deal, they can’t be blamed for having a go. And they certainly can’t be blamed for any changes that occur to employment laws as a result. Those changes are being driven by the powerful anti-union faction with Equity and the anti-Equity protester all mere pawns in a much bigger game.

One question to ponder: can we really believe Jackson, Boyens, Taylor and Walsh all fronted the media independently, driven by personal passion, upset and loyalty to the masses? Or were they playing their roles in an orchestrated strategy that was always focussed ensuring that independent contractors would be reduced to the status of serfs (albeit well looked after serfs) in a feudal system where the Squire has all the power?

Apologies for coming so late to this site (I've been following it all on www.theatreview.org.nz ).

Russell, you begin with an excellent summary, but miss the crucial point that Equity had a legal opinion (Simpson Grierson) that organisations of 50 or more could negotiate non-binding recommendations on behalf of a group of independent contractors.

This is exactly what is now under way with the Pink Book negotiations – and by the way it is standard union policy for executives to meet with their members in the process of formulating policy and determining what will be asked for, then again to bring what’s negotiated back to members before it’s agreed to. That’s called democracy, I think.

That is why they astutely attempted to avoid premature ejaculation all over the media. That’s wasted seed and it makes a mess.

"The way the first meeting in Wellington was run was a disgrace – while anyone who turned up and called themselves a performer was allowed to vote in Auckland, the rules were changed in Wellington after the vote had begun to exclude non-Equity members."

This is inaccurate. The only 'members only' vote at the meeting was on a motion to allow non members to vote on the substantive motion. It was carried and then the other was, with everyone voting.